Legalize / United Kingdom / Wales / Act of Senedd Cymru

Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

Type Act of Senedd Cymru

Publication 2025-07-07

State In force

Jurisdiction Wales

Department Statute Law Database

Source legislation.gov.uk

Reform history JSON API

PART 1 — PROMOTION AND FACILITATION OF USE OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE

Welsh language strategy targets: at least a million Welsh speakers and increase in use

1

(1) The strategy on promoting and facilitating the use of Welsh adopted by the Welsh Ministers in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32) (“the Welsh language strategy”) must—

(a) include the target to increase the number of Welsh speakers in Wales to at least 1 million by 2050;

(b) set targets for increasing the use of Welsh in Wales, including—

(i) use in the workplace;

(ii) social use;

(i) increasing the number of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools;

(ii) increasing the number of “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools;

(iii) increasing the amount of Welsh language education provided in “Dual Language” and “Primarily English language, partly Welsh” category schools;

(d) set targets for increasing the number of people learning Welsh;

(e) include the steps Welsh Ministers intend to take to encourage passing on the Welsh language—

(i) at home,

(ii) intergenerationally, and

(iii) in the community;

(f) include the steps the Welsh Ministers intend to take to encourage an increase in digital use of the Welsh language;

(g) set criteria to measure the progress necessary to meet the targets.

(2) The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, amend sub-section (1)(c) to amend the targets required to be set by the strategy, to include further targets or to remove them.

(3) In setting out their proposals for promoting the Welsh language and facilitating its use in the Welsh language strategy in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Welsh Ministers must take account of the targets referred to in subsection (1)(a) to‍ (d).

(4) The plan published by the Welsh Ministers in accordance with section 78(9) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 must include a description of the steps the Welsh Ministers intend to take in order to contribute to meeting the targets referred to in subsection (1)(a) and (b) (and see Part 4 in respect of the targets referred to in subsection (1)(c) and (d)).

(5) In section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006—

(a) in subsection (1), instead of “(“the Welsh language strategy”)”, insert “to be known as “the Welsh language strategy” or “strategaeth y Gymraeg””;

(b) after subsection (1), insert—

(1A) See Part 1 of the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (asc []) (referred to in Welsh as Deddf y Gymraeg ac Addysg (Cymru) 2025 (dsc [])) for further requirements relating to the Welsh language strategy.

;

(d) after subsection (10) insert—

(11) In subsection (5), the reference to the “Welsh Language Commissioner means the commissioner appointed under section 2 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 1) (referred to in Welsh as Mesur y Gymraeg (Cymru) 2011 (mccc 1)).

(6) In this‍ Part—

(a) “Welsh language education” means—

(i) teaching Welsh, and

(ii) education and training through the medium of Welsh,

in a maintained school, during school sessions, to pupils of compulsory school age;

(b) references to “Primarily Welsh Language”, “Dual Language” and “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” school categories are to be read in accordance with Part 3.

Reporting on targets in the Welsh language strategy

2

(1) At least once every 5 years, the Welsh Ministers must include in the report published under section 78(8) of the Government of Wales Act 2006, analysis of the situation of the Welsh language in Wales including—

(a) an assessment of the number, and‍ a calculation of the percentage of Welsh speakers in the area of each local authority, including by reference to their age;

(b) an assessment of the number of pupils of compulsory school age in each local authority area receiving education in “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools, and a calculation of that number as a percentage of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in maintained schools in the area;

(i) an assessment of the number of pupils of compulsory school age in each local authority area receiving education in community special schools providing an amount of Welsh language education corresponding to the amount of Welsh language education provided by “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools, and

(ii) a calculation of that number as a percentage of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in community special schools in the are‍a;

(d) an assessment of the use of Welsh in Wales;

(e) an assessment of the likelihood that the targets referred to in section 1(1)(a) to‍ (d) will be met by reference to the criteria set by the strategy;

(f) information on the change, during the period since the previous assessment, in the number and percentage of Welsh speakers in the area of each local authority.

(2) If the Welsh Ministers conclude that a target is unlikely to be met, the Welsh Ministers must lay before Senedd Cymru, and publish, a statement.

(3) The statement must be laid and published before the end of the 6-month period starting with the date the report that includes the analysis referred to in subsection (1) is laid before Senedd Cymru (under section 78(8) of the Government of Wales Act 2006).

(4) The statement must—

(a) explain why the target is unlikely to be met, and

(b) set out the further steps the Welsh Ministers have taken, or the steps they intend to take, to meet the target.

Calculating the number of Welsh speakers

3

(1) For the purposes of sections 1 and 2, the number of Welsh speakers is to be calculated on the basis of data specified by the Welsh Ministers by regulations, but in calculating the number of speakers any relevant data derived from a census conducted in accordance with the Census Act 1920 (c. 41) must be taken into account.

(2) For the purposes of sections 1 and 2, whether a person is a Welsh speaker is to be decided—

(a) in the case of persons aged‍ 17 and over, on the basis of self-assessment;

(b) in the case of children under the age o‍f 17, on the basis of self-assessment, or the assessment of the child’s parent or carer.

(3) In the case of children under the age of 17, the Welsh Ministers may by regulations—

(a) specify a method of deciding whether a person is a Welsh speaker for the purposes of section 1 and 2, and

(b) specify whether that method is to be used in addition to, or instead of, the assessments referred to in subsection (2)(b).

(4) The Welsh Ministers must prepare and publish guidance on assessments under subsection (2)(a) and (b).

(5) In preparing guidance under subsection (4), the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the Code prepared under section 6.

(6) The Welsh Ministers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the guidance published under subsection (4) is taken into account—

(a) when the data referred to in subsection (1) is collected, and

(b) when the assessments referred to in subsection (2)(a) and (b) are completed.

Reviewing the Welsh language standards

4

(1) The Welsh Ministers must review the standards specified under section 26 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 1) with a view to determining whether amendments are necessary to—

(a) any of the standards relating to improving or assessing workforce Welsh language skills to—

(i) facilitate meeting a target set under this Part, or

(ii) reflect the Code prepared by the Welsh Ministers on describing Welsh language ability under section 6;

(b) any of the Welsh language promotion standards to facilitate meeting a target set under this Part.

(2) The Welsh Ministers must—

(a) consult the Welsh Language Commissioner as part of the review in subsection (1);

(b) complete the review within the 12-month period starting with the day following publication of the Code under section 7 for the first time.

PART 2 — DESCRIBING WELSH LANGUAGE ABILITY

Types of Welsh language user and common reference levels

5

(1) In accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the Table in Schedule 1 specifies—

(a) types of Welsh language user (namely a basic Welsh language user, an independent Welsh language user, and a proficient Welsh language user), and

(b) common reference levels for describing the ability of those types of Welsh language user, and a description of the general characteristics of each level.

(2) The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, amend the Table in Schedule 1.

(3) But the Welsh Ministers may not exercise the power in subsection (2) unless this is necessary in response to a change made to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

(4) In this Part, the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” means the framework published by the Council of Europe, as revised from time to time, contained in the document “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (2001)”, and further described or updated—

(a) in the document “Council of Europe (2020), Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume”, or

(b) in any similar document published by the Council of Europe.

Code to describe Welsh language ability

6

(1) The Welsh Ministers must prepare a Code on describing ability in Welsh that is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

(2) The Code must—

(a) explain how to use the common reference levels set out in the Table in Schedule 1, and

(b) describe the specific characteristics, such as understanding oral or written language or the ability to interact orally, of each common reference level.

(3) The Code may also include anything else related to describing ability in Welsh.

Overview and interpretation

7

(1) The Welsh Ministers must—

(a) publish the Code in force for the time being;

(b) review the Code from time to time, and may amend it as appropriate.

(2) Before publishing the Code, or the Code as amended from time to time, the Welsh Ministers must consult any persons they think appropriate.

PART 3 — WELSH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Introduction

Overview and interpretation

8

(1) This Part—

(a) makes provision about designating a language category to each school (see sections 9 to 13), and, accordingly, about—

(i) the amount of Welsh language education to be provided in the school, and

(ii) the school’s Welsh language learning goal;

(b) requires each school to have a Welsh language education delivery plan (see sections 14 to 19) that sets out (among other things) how the school intends to meet its Welsh language learning goal;

(c) requires each local authority to maintain and publish a register of the language category of each school in its area (see section 22);

(d) requires each local authority to promote late immersion education in Welsh (see section 23).

(2) For the purposes of this Part—

(a) “Welsh language education” means—

(i) teaching Welsh, and

(ii) education and training through the medium of Welsh,

in a school, during school sessions, to pupils of compulsory school age;

(b) “Welsh language nursery education” means—

(i) teaching Welsh, and

(ii) education through the medium of Welsh

in a school or maintained nursery school, during school sessions, to pupils under compulsory school age;

Language categories of schools

School language categories

9

(1) Each school is designated a language category, in accordance with this Part, that determines—

(a) in accordance with section 10, the minimum amount of Welsh language education provided in the school, and

(b) the school’s Welsh language learning goal (see section 11).

(2) The language categories are—

(a) the “Primarily Welsh Language” category;

(b) the “Dual Language” category;

(3) A school may be designated more than one language category, and the Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, make provision in relation to such a school, including provision that applies this Part with modifications.

(4) Subsection (1) does not apply to a community special school (but see section 20).

Minimum amount of provision of Welsh language education for each language category‍

10

(1) Subsection (2) specifies the minimum amount of Welsh language education for each language category, as a percentage of the education and training provided over a school year during school sessions for pupils of compulsory school age.

(2) The minimum amount is—

(a) 80% for the “Primarily Welsh Language” category;

(b) 50% for the “Dual Language” category;

(3) The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, amend subsection (2) to change the minimum amount for any language category, but the minimum amount must not be less than 80% for the “Primarily Welsh Language” category, 50% for the “Dual Language” category, and 10% for the “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” category.

(4) The Welsh Ministers must decide whether to exercise the power to make regulations under subsection (3) in relation to the “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” category within the period of 5 years beginning with the day after the day on which this section comes into force, and after that, within each period of 5 years following their most recent decision.

(5) In deciding whether to exercise the power to make regulations under subsection (3), the Welsh Ministers must consider the likely effect of the minimum amounts on achieving the targets set by the Welsh language strategy in accordance with section 1.

(6) The governing body of a school must ensure that the school provides at least the minimum amount of Welsh language education for the language category designated for the school in each of the school years for which a Welsh language education delivery plan is to have effect (see sections 14(3) and 15(5)).‍

Welsh language learning goals for each language category

11

(1) The Welsh language learning goal for “Primarily Welsh Language‍” category schools is that pupils, by the time they cease to be of compulsory school age, are proficient Welsh language users (that is, they reach the C1 or C2 common reference level), at least.

(2) The Welsh language learning goal for “Dual Language” category schools is that pupils, by the time they cease to be of compulsory school age—

(a) are independent Welsh language users (that is, they reach the B1 or B2 common reference level) at least, as an initial goal;

(b) after that, in relation to a year group in a school year specified by the Welsh Ministers in regulations, and subsequent year groups—

(i) are independent Welsh language users (that is, they reach the B1 or B2 common reference level) at least, and

(ii) reach at least the B2 common reference level for oral interaction.

(3) The Welsh language learning goal for “Primarily English language, partly Welsh” category schools is that pupils, by the time they cease to be of compulsory school age—

(a) are basic Welsh language users (that is, they reach the A1 or A2 common reference level) at least, as an initial goal;

(b) after that, in relation to a year group in a school year specified by the Welsh Ministers in regulations, and subsequent year groups until the goal in paragraph (c) applies, are independent Welsh language users (that is, they reach the B1 or B2 common reference level) at least;

(c) after that, in relation to a year group in a school year specified by the Welsh Ministers in regulations, and subsequent year groups—

(i) are independent Welsh language users (that is, they reach the B1 or B2 common reference level) at least, and

(ii) reach at least the B2 common reference level for oral interaction.

(4) In relation to the Welsh language goals for a primary school, it is assumed that the pupils of the school continue with education in schools of the same language category until they cease to be of compulsory school age.

(5) When considering the school years and the year groups to be specified in regulations under this section, the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the likely effect of the learning goals on achieving the targets set by the Welsh language strategy in accordance with section 1.

(6) In this section—

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